Automatic stop for phonographs.



J. E. SOONS.

AUTOMATIC STOP FOR PHONOGRAPHS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 36, 1916.

Patented May 22, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WITNESSES /N 1/5 N TOR cf i'daww mm m A TTOR/VEYS J. E. SOONS.

AUTOMATIC STOP FOR PHONOGHAPHS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. l6, IQIG- Patented May 22, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JAMES EDWARD SOON S, 0]?NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR OF SET! ONE-HUNDREDTHS TO EDWARD CA'IEBSON, OFNEW YORK, N. Y.

AUTOMATIC STOP FOR PHONOGBAPHS.

in this specification by the term phonograph.

I wish it to be understood also that while I show and describe a recorddisk having spirally arranged record grooves or lines,-

the advantages and adaptations of the invention are such that it may beapplied to records of other types, so long as there is a record line orgroove formed thereon. For convenience of descr1pt1on, therefore, I w1lluse the term disk as referring to the body I on which the grooves orlines are formed and the lines or the grooved portion of the disk willbe regarded as a record as distinguished from the disk as a physicalbody.

I am aware that various devices have been proposed for accomplishing thebroad purpose of this invention, but so far as I am aware the devicesnow in use all depend upon the setting of the devices according to theextent of each individual record or the length of the radius therefromto the center of the turntable.

Among the objects, therefore, of this invention is to provide anautomatic stop for phonographs which -Will be truly automatic in 'itsnature, requiring no ad ustment or other attention on the part of theoperator either for starting or stopping the operation of the disk. I

Another object of the invention is to provide an. automatic stop thatwill be operative to stop the turntable either when the end of therecord is reached or when the reproducer at any time is thrown over intoits inoperative position irrespective of the portion of the record thatmay have been rendered.

Another object of the invention is to provide devices including a brushoperating Patented May 22, 1917.

Application filed October 16, 1916. Serial No. 125,823.

adjacent to the needle, but in spaced relation thereto, while the recordis being played, but which, when the reproducer is turned over to itsinoperative position, will drop automatically out of the way of theneedle so that it will not interfere with the usual exchange of needles.As a corollary to the object just stated, I provide a device including abrush which, operating in the record groove ahead of the needle, servesto clear the same from any dust or other extraneous matter which wouldtend to interfere with the proper musical effect.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an automatic stopfor phonographs, in which there is employed an electromagnet in acircuit having a plurality of gaps or openings, at least one of whichgaps is normally open, so that the energy for the magnet is expendedonly momentarily for the purpose of throwing the brake, the other gapbeing then automatically opened.

With the foregoing and other objects in view the invention consists inthe arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter described andclaimed, and while the invention is not restricted to the exact detailsof construction disclosed or suggested herein, still for the purpose. ofillustrating a practical embodiment thereof reference is had to theaccompanying drawings, in

which like reference characters designate the same parts in theseveralviews, and in which Figure 1 is a plan view of a phonographequipped with my improvement, a portion of the mechanism being brokenaway to better indicate the location of the brake controlling devices;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the brake casing and parts therein in releasedposition;

Fig. 3 is a view somewhat similar to Fig. 2, but indicating the brake inlocked position;

Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse section on the line 44: of Fig. 2; I

Fig. 5 is a vertical section through the phonograph casing on the line55 of *ig. 6 is a front elevation of the reproducer and brush attachmentthereon in normal running position, though with the gap,

' pose of stopping e Fig. 8 is a viev s of the reproducer turned overinto" its idle position and -with the drawings,'I showat 15aconventional form with respect to the radius of the disk, be- P tweenthe needle and the automatic stop brush somewhat exaggerated;

Fig. 7 is a view similar to' Fig. 6, but.

showing the approach of the needle to the brush at the end of the recordfor-the purbrush dropped by gravity into that position, whereby thebrake will be stopped auto matically and the brush will be out of the'way of the operators fingerswhen manipu lating the needle; 1 r

Fig. 9 is a sectional detail on the hue 99 of Fig.6, indicating theupper end of the brush armin plan'view andits relation to the hollowpost in which it is supported; and Y Fig. 10 is a diagram indicating theelectromagnet and the contacts controlling the circuit therethrough.

Referring now more particularly to the of phonograph cabinet or casinghaving a floor 16 therein, through which the shaft 17 of the turntable18 projects in the usual manner. This turntable is shown as intended forsupporting and rotatinga disk 19, the record on which isindicated at 20.

The tone arm-is indicated at 21 and the reproducer at 22, to which issecured a needle 23of any suitable character. i

.The brake mechanism includes a brake.

lever 24, the end or shoe 25 of which is adapted to bear against theperiphery of the turntable 18 in the usual manner. a The lever 24 ispivoted at 26 within the brake casing 27 and upon a cross bar 28 securedto or constituting a part of a frame 29 anchored in place within thecasing by any suitable means, such as screws 30. A spring .31 isconnected at one end' at 32 to the brake lever and has its other endsuitably anchored so'that the normal tendency of the spring is to throwthe brake into stopping position. The lever 24 has an extension 24 onthe other side of the'pivot 26 which carries a tail piece 33 andcoiiperates with a contact spring 34 when the brake lever is remotefI'OlIL' the turntable or in running position. The contact 34, however,isspaced from the lever when the brake is set, see Fig. 3. When thebrake lever is thrown to its running position, the end pr v the tailpiece 33 snaps-over the end of a trigger 35 held normally against theend of an adjustment'screw' 36 by means of a light spring 37. Thistrigger 35 is pivoted at 38 and constitutes in effect the armature of asmall electromagnet 39 secured to or within the frame 29 as by'means ofa bindingscrew 40. v e J The brake casing 27'may be located at any.

convenient place either above or below the the wire 46.

menses floor 16, depending upon the'internal con struction'of thephonograph casing. When located] beneath the floor, the brake lever I 24maybe bent upwardly and project through a slot 41 in said floor. '42indicates a battery of any ordinary *commercial type housed preferablywithin the casing 27 and has its contact springs43 and 44 communicatingelectrically Zwith circuit wires 45 and 46. The wire 45 leads to themagnet 39, kthence throughthe magnetand wire- 47 to the circuit breakerspring 34 in normal contact with the brake lever,

the circuit being continued through the brake lever and frame 29 to awire 48, WlllCll emerges from the casing 27 close to directed along thetone arm to the reproducer, the wire 46 leading to a fixed contact 49and the wire 48 leading to the brush support 50 through. a metal band51, whereby the brush support and contact 49 are secured to thereproducer.

52 indicates a brush arm of electri'c'material, preferably of metal, andmounted in the brush arm support 50'for free endwise movement for adistance approximating the length of the average needle. The extent ofendwlse movement of the arm 52 is determlned bythe coiiperation betweenthe laterally'extending lug 52 at its upper end and .upper and lowerpins 53 and 54, arrangedin vertical alinement with each other withinThese wires 46 and 48 are the side of the hollowbrush arm supportopposite from the block of insulation 55, to which the contact screw 49is secured. The arm 52, except for the laterally projecting lug, 1sstraight and preferably polygonal in cross section to prevent rotationthereof in the support 50.- When the reproducer is :lifted from thedisk, the arm 52 drops freely by gravlty until stopped by engagementwith the pin 54, and the arm thus is -A brush 56, of camels hair or thelike, is

or to the lower end of the arm 52,

the ml of the brush being adapted to be re ce'ved in a record groovewhen the'reproducer is lowered straight down in the act of applying theneedle 23 to the beginningof the record. It will thus be seen that theaxes of the brush arm and the needle are normally parallel, as viewedfrom the front or'at right angles to the radius drawn from the needle tothe center of the disk, and the brush is spaced inwardly from the needletoward the center of the disk to a distance equal to one or more turnsof the groove. As

viewed from the side, however, as'in Fig. 5,

it will be noted that the brush arm is sub stantially vertical while inoperation, Whereby the brush arm is supported normally only'by thestiffness of the bristles or hairs constituting the brush. In thisconnection, it will be observed that the brush-accommodatesitself freelyand readily to any length of needle which may be used.

'With the device constructed and arranged as indicated in Fig. 6, theoperator will bring the needle into playing position on the beginning ofthe record with the brush located slightly inwardly therefrom toward thecenter of the disk, and the brake will then bereleased in the usualmanner to start the motor or, if desired, the motor may be started toinitiate the rotation of the disk preliminary to the lowering of theneedle.

In either event, the brush will maintain its uniform spaced relationwith respect to the needle throughout the playing of the record,

and the circuit being. open between the arm 52 and fixed contact 49, themagnet will be idle and the brake will'be held open byv the trigger 35cooperating with the tail piece 33. When the needle 23 approaches theend of the record, the brush will be received and retained in the lastturn of the groove, see Fig. 7, and thereby the brush arm 52 will betilted outwardly at the bottom due to the fact that the needlecontinuing in the spiral groove will cause the reproducer and tone armto continue their movement toward the center of the disk. This lateraldeflection of the brush arm serves to cause said arm to engage the fixedcontact 49 when a record is completely played, and by completing thecircuit through these fixed and movable contacts, the magnet 39 will beenergized momentarily, withdrawing the armature trig-- ger 35 frombeneath the tail piece 33 and the brake will then be applied instantlyby force of the spring 31. The circuit then will be broken at thecontact 34, as shown in Fig. 3, so that no energy will be lost from thebattery unnecessarily, the magnet having served its purpose when itactuates the armature to release the brake.

In the form shown, the brake remains. in said position untilsubsequently manipulated by the operator. The reproducer may remain inthe position indicated in Fig. 7 until another record is to be played.At the time desired, the operator will lift the reproducer and turn itup and over in the usual manner for the purpose of clearing the disk andchanging the needles. In this position of the reproducer, the brush arm52 rocks freely by gravity until the lug 52' thereof strikes against thepin 53, whereby the brush arm will tilt automatically into position toengage the fixed contact'49, :11-

erators fingers. In this connection, I- wish to emphasize the importanceof this action of the brush arm with respect to the automaticstogpingofthe motor at any part of the recor For example, when a recordhas been started and the operator desires to stop the same, either forthe purpose of substituting another record, or for any other reason, allhe is required to do is to turn the reproducer up and over to theposition of Fig. 8 and the brake will be automatically apphed. When therecord is to be proceeded with, the operator may then return the needleto its p ace at any part of the record and the motor will start when thebrake is released. The device is simple and comparatively cheap in itsconstruction and is easily applied to the reproducer of any ordinarymachine and has proved to be absolutely reliable as a result of a numberof months actual use for any and all of the purposes above enumerated.

While the contact 49 is described herein for convenience as fixed, thisterm will be understood as being relative only with respect to themovable contact 50. It will be noted, however, that the contact screw 49is adjustable for the purpose of determining the precise relationbetween the brush and the needle in practice, or rather the extent ofrelativemovement between the needle and 95 the brush before the contactfor the circuit is completed.

I claim:

1. In an automatic stop for phonographs, the combination with a needleholder, a brake, and power means to set the brake, said power meansincluding a normally open electric circuit, of a pair of normally spacedcontacts in said circuit carried by the needle holder, the movablecontact 105 aforesaid being mounted for free vertical endwise slidablemovement and positioned by gravity in spaced relation to the fixedcontact and being tiltabl laterally into engagement with the fixecontact when the 110 end of the record is reached.

2. In an automatic stop for phonographs, the combination of a brake,power means tending to set the brake, electric devices tending toinitiate the action of the power 5 means aforesaid, an electric circuitassociated with the electric devices, said circuit including a pair ofrelatively fixed and movable normally spaced contacts, the movablecontact comprising a straight metal 129 bar supported for free endwiseup and down movements and adapted for lateral tilting to engage thefixed contact irrespective of its relative vertical position in itssupport, said contact devices being adapted to 12 be inverted and tomeet when they are so inverted.

3. The herein described means for automatically setting a brake, thesame comprising an electric circuit, a vertical tubular 130 axis .intoinverted idle position, a contact contact support, a contact fixed tothe support, a .relatively movable contact carried within the supportand movable freely therein in 'endwise directions and alsO'laterallywith respect to the fixed contact, said. 7

movable contact being adapted to drop by gravity int o position spacedfrom the fixed contact but being movable laterally by normal operationof the machine into position to engage the fixed contact.

4. The herein described means for auto matically applying a brake, thesame including an electric circuit, a contact support for the circuit,one branch of the circuit the end of the record, and means carried bythecontact support to limit the endwise movements of the movable contacttherein.

5. In an automatic stop for phonographs, the combination of a tubularcontact support, means to secure said support in a vertical position toa reproducer, an electric circuit, relatively fixed and movable contactscarried by the" contact support, the fixed' contact being adjacent thelower end of the support, the movable contact being slidable freelyendwise within thelsupport by the action of gravity, spaced means withinthe upper portion of the support coopcrating with the upper end of themovable contact to limit the movements of the movable contact andserving thereby to determine the position of the movable contact withrespect to the fixed contact, and brake devices set into operation bythe closing of the circuit. 3

6. In an automatic stop for phonographs, the combination with areproducer adapted to be swung upwardly around a transverse supportsecured rigidly-t0 the reproducer, relatively fixed and movable contactscarried by the support, said movable contact dropping freely bygravityinto a position i spaced from the fixed contact when the re producer isdown, and means cooperating with the movable contact when thereproducer' is inverted in idle position to cause' the movable contactto gravitate into engagement with the fixed contact.

7 In an automatic stop for phonographs,

the combination with a reproducer movable from its operative positionupwardly into idle position, of a contact support carried by thereproducer and having fixed relation thereto in an positions of thereproducer,

relatively fixed and movable normally spaced contacts carried by thesupport, the movable contact being movable automatically by gravity intoits normal position when the reproducer is lowered to operatingposition, and means carried by the contact support serving to cause themovable contact to drop automatically by gravity into engagement withthe fixed contact when the reproducer is moved into its idle position.

8. In an automatic stop for phonographs,

the combination with a reproducer movable fromoperative to idleposition, of a contact support secured in rigid position upon thereproducer, an electric circuit, a pair of normally spaced contacts forsaid circuit carried by the support, said movable contact being heldfrom rotation with respect to the support, but being movable endwise'and laterally with respect to the fixed contact, said movable contacthaving a lateral projection at one end, and means carried by the contactsupport cooperating with said projection and serving thereby toautomatically' position the movable contactspaced from the fixed contactwhen the reproducer is in operative position and against the fixedcontact when the reproducer is in idle position. I

9. In an automatic stop for phonographs, the combination with a brakeand electric power means tending to set the brake, of a pair of normallyspaced contacts carried by the reproducer, said contacts being broughtautomatically into engagement, either by the reaching of the end of therecord or the inverting of the reproducer into idle position, forinitiating the action of the.

power means aforesaid, and means coiipcrating directly with the brake toautomatically break the circuit when the brake is thrown.

JAllLCES EDWARD SOONS.

